Match container



MATCH CONTAINER Filed May 26, 1955 July 111.11 1

S \D T/5 H L 70% Patented Jul 16, 1935 MATCH CQNTAINER I f I BertisflHamilton, Columbus; Ind, V I V i Application May 26,1933, Serial Noi ciaszi- 1 Claim.

It is the object of my invention to produce a device which will contain a supply of matches, which will render those matches readily available one at a time, and which will embody a safe container for burnt matches.

,1 Incarrying out my invention, I provide a box of incombustible material, such as sheet-metal, divided into two compartments by a vertical partition, one of such compartments being in tended to contain unused matches and the other burnt matches. Unburned matches are supported in their compartment by a yielding means which will permit them to be withdawn from the bottom of the compartment one at a time. The other compartment is provided with a slot in its top through which burned matches can be dropped. Associated with this opening are baffles which obstruct the ready flow of air through the slot and insure that any match dropped into the burned-match compartment while still ignited will be promptly extinguished for want of oxygen. e

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Figs. 1 and 2 are front and side elevations respectively of the match container with parts thereof broken away; and Figs. 3 and 4 are top e and bottom plan views respectively of the container."

' Conveniently, the body of the container is" formed of two pieces of sheet metal one of which is bent to form a front wall l0 and side walls I l and the other of which constitutes the back wall l2, the latter piece being provided along its vertical edges with flanges l3 which overlap the rear edges of the side walls Hand may be secured thereto as by spot-welding; The box is divided internal: 1y into two compartments by means of a vertical partition 14 having along its edges flanges l5 adapted to be spot-welded or otherwise secured to the front and back walls ID and I2 respectively of e the box. The burned-match compartment, which x is shown in Fig. 1 as'lying to the left of the partition I4, is provided with a bottom l6 conveniently formed integrally with the partition 14 and bent at right angles thereto. Flanges ll along the edges of the bottom I6 provide for its attachment to the walls of the box.'

In the compartment for unused matches, there is secured to the back wall l2 of the box a sheetmetal bracket 20 having an inwardly and downwardly bent flange 2| to which are secured, near opposite sides of the compartment, forwardly and downwardly extending spring fingers 22 the free ends of which lie close tothe rear face-of the front box-wall II]. This front wall ID of the box is provided near the center-line of the unfree ends, are provided with generally horizontal lips of a width approximating that of a match. When matches are in the unused-match compartment, one match will rest upon the lips 24 and will extend across the notch 23 so that it can be grasped between the thumb and forefinger and withdrawn downwardly. The elastic character of thespring fingers 22 permits such fingers to bend and thus permits the grasped match to be withdrawn. Upon disengagement of the matchv from the ends of the fingers 22, these fingers return to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the lip 24 engaging the next match and holding it in position for withdrawal.

For the box I provide a cover 25, conveniently formed of sheet-metal, and having at its edge flanges 26 which overlie the upper edges of the box-body. Above theburned-match compartment the cover isprovided with a slot 21 5 shaped cut in the cover 25 and bent downwardly to an inclined position to provide the slot 21. The other bafile may be a separate piece of sheet metal bent along longitudinal lines to provide an upper portion 29 adapted to be secured against the under side of the cover, an intermediate portion Bilextending obliquely downwardlyto a point adjacent the lower edge of the tongue 28, and a third portion 3! which extends across the free edge of the tongue 28 at a lesser inclination.

The baffles formed by the tongue 28 and the inclined walls 30 and 3 I, as indicated, prevent the ready flow of air through the slot 21, and in addition tend toextinguish any match which ,may be inserted in the slot 2'! while still ignited.

surface may be provided on the bottom l6 of the burned-match compartment. Such a rough surface may be formed by a piece of steel gauze or screen 35 soldered or otherwise secured to the lower surface of the bottom I6.

For the purpose of mounting the match container upon a wall I may secure to the back wall I2 thereof two spaced horizontally extending strips 36, the center portions of which are offset outwardly to permit the reception of ears 31 stuck up from a vertical bracket 28 adapted to be secured to the wall on which the match-box is to be mounted.

Preferably, the unused-match compartment is of a size such as will; snugly-receive theicardboard "boxes'in which matches are customarily sold. By tearing out the end of such a cardboard box and by inserting it in the unusedmatch compartment with the torn-outeend'toward.

the bottom of the compartment, the entire supply of matches in the box may be quickly and easily transferred to the unused-match compartment to baffle of sheet-metal secured to the lower side of said cover on the side of such opening opposite said tongue, said bafile occupying a downwardly inclined position and extending beyond but spaced from'the lower longitudinal edge of said tongue.

. BERTIS HAMILTON. 

